What's The Trick?

Ben Hanlin

How do you take a spark of an idea and turn it into something original, finished, and unforgettable? In this conversation, we sit down with some of The World’s most creative people and get geeky about their creative process. The breakthroughs, the failures, the step-by-step hard work that audiences never see. Join Ben Hanlin as he interviews Comedians, Musicians, Writers, Content Creators and asks them, “What’s The Trick?” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 12H AGO

    Easter Special: What 10 Creative Guests Taught Me About Making Things That Work

    This episode is a little different, and that is exactly why it matters. Instead of focusing on one guest, one project, or one creative journey, Ben steps back and looks at what the first 10 episodes of What’s The Trick? have actually revealed. The result is a smart, generous roundup of the ideas, habits, decisions, and mindset shifts that keep showing up across very different creative worlds. Across these first conversations, the people featured have built companies, books, films, comedy careers, social media brands, stage shows, and creative bodies of work that took years to sharpen. This episode exists to pull the best lessons back into focus: not as a greatest-hits package, but as a practical guide to how creative work really gets made. If you are new to the podcast, this is a useful entry point. If you have been listening from the start, it is a strong reminder that the real value is not just in hearing a great story once, but in noticing the patterns underneath it. FOLLOW BEN: SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM0oXTRP-zWlJ_IiNykTLag FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/benhanlin INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/benhanlin TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@benhanlin WEBSITE: Benhanlin.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min

  2. MAR 20

    Matt Denton: How we built BB-8 for Star Wars

    What does it take to make a character feel alive when that character is made of mechanics, code, cables, and performance? In this episode, Ben Hanlin sits down with animatronics expert and robot inventor Matt Denton to unpack the craft behind some of modern cinema’s most memorable practical creations, most notably BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but also work connected to Harry Potter, Project Hail Mary, and the wider world of robotics and film effects. This conversation exists because great screen characters are rarely “just designed.” They’re engineered, tested, puppeteered, compromised, rebuilt, and refined under pressure. What emerges here is not just a story about robots or puppets, but a deeper look at how technical problem-solving becomes emotional storytelling. If you’ve ever wondered how a sketch on a Post-it note becomes an iconic film character, or how practical effects still survive in an increasingly digital world - this episode is a fascinating look behind the curtain. FOLLOW BEN: SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM0oXTRP-zWlJ_IiNykTLag FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/benhanlin INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/benhanlin TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@benhanlin FOLLOW MATT: SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@UCbOrJwJsd4vFS4aLIILa_7Q FACEBOOK: facebook.com/mantisrobot INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/mantisrobot TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@mantisrobot Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min

  3. MAR 13

    The Hoosiers: How We Wrote Worried About Ray

    This episode is about building a long-term music career, and more specifically, how The Hoosiers made the songs and records that defined them, from early breakthrough tracks like “Goodbye Mr A” and “Worried About Ray” to the harder, less visible work of staying creative after success. Ben sits down with Irwin Sparkes and Al Sharland to explore what was actually made: a band, a body of songs, a number one album, and eventually a career that had to survive both momentum and disappointment. The conversation is not really about fame. It is about craft, resilience, taste, identity, and the pressure that arrives once something works. What makes this episode worth your time is how honest it is about the gap between potential and execution. They talk about the decade of floundering before things clicked, the producer who forced them to get better, the brutal feedback that changed the band, and the real difference between making something good and making something that connects. If you care about how creative work gets shaped over time, how hits are written, how standards get raised, and how people keep going after the first wave passes, this is a deeply useful conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    48 min

  4. MAR 6

    Jack Savoretti: How to Build a Music Career Without Depending on the Industry

    In this episode, Ben Hanlin sits down with singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti to unpack the long road behind his music career, and how he eventually built it on his own terms. Jack, the artist behind albums like Singing to Strangers, Europeana and his latest release We Will Always Be the Way We Were, didn’t follow the typical “signed → success” path. Instead he spent years relentlessly touring building audiences room by room and deliberately chose independence over industry control. This approach ultimately led to two UK number-one records. This conversation delves into the true requirements of a music career, encompassing songwriting, navigating the industry, discovering your unique voice and ultimately building a lasting career spanning decades rather than fleeting months. For those curious about the real-world construction of creative careers beyond the glitz and glamour, this episode offers a rare glimpse into the craft, perseverance and mindset necessary to create enduring art. FOLLOW BEN: SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM0oXTRP-zWlJ_IiNykTLag FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/benhanlin INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/benhanlin TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@benhanlin WEBSITE: benhanlin.com We Will Always Be The Way We Were’ - The new album from Jack Savoretti coming 10th April 2026 | Pre order here - https://jacksavoretti.orcd.co/wwabtwww Follow Jack Savoretti: Sign Up: https://JackSavoretti.lnk.to/SignUpID YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/jacksavoretti INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/jacksavoretti http://jacksavoretti.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min

  5. FEB 27

    Dom Joly: How to Make Comedy That Lasts 25 Years (Trigger Happy TV)

    This episode is about the making of one of the most iconic hidden-camera comedy shows ever produced: Trigger Happy TV, created by Dom Jolly. Dom didn’t just star in the show. He built it from scratch. No writing room. No committee. No grand career plan. Just a £1,000 camera, a friend behind the bar who became his cameraman, and an instinct for what made him laugh. I wanted to have this conversation because Trigger Happy TV felt raw, anarchic, and completely of its time and yet 25 years later, it still works. This episode explores how it was actually made, where the ideas came from, how it was sold to 80+ countries, and what it cost Dom creatively and personally. If you’re interested in how comedy is built, not in theory, but in practice, this conversation pulls the curtain back. This is about making comedy without a script. About trusting instinct over consensus. About luck, timing, hunger, burnout and the price of creativity. Trigger Happy TV 25th Anniversary Tour tickets https://www.domjoly.tv/live/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 2m

  6. FEB 20

    Pulp Kitchen: How to Build a Successful Podcast

    This episode is about building a podcast - specifically, how two friends built the Pulp Kitchen Podcast, into a sustainable creative business. Pulp Kitchen began as a simple idea: talk about films every week. No built-in audience. No fame. No production team. Just consistency, shared enthusiasm, and a decision to commit long-term. Over time, that weekly habit turned into a full-time creative career with live shows, brand partnerships, junket interviews, and a growing audience. This conversation exists for anyone wondering: How does something like that actually happen? Not the highlight reel. Not the viral moment. But the mechanics. The risk. The mindset. The turning points. If you’ve ever thought about starting something creative, a podcast, a channel, a product, this episode is about what it really takes to make it work. FOLLOW BEN: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/benhanlin INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/benhanlin TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@benhanlin FOLLOW PULP KITCHEN: YOUTUBE:  @pulpkitchenpodcast  TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@pulpkitchenpodcast INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pulpkitchenpodcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr

  7. FEB 13

    Amelia Sordell: How to Create a Personal Brand

    In this episode of What’s The Trick?, Ben Hanlin sits down with Amelia Sordell - founder of multi-million-pound personal brand agency 'Klowt' and now a creator, advisor, and podcast host in her own right - to unpack what it really takes to build a personal brand that works. Not the vanity version. Not the “10k followers in 30 days” version. The real version. Together, they explore how Amelia built her company from zero to £4 million in three and a half years, why it nearly broke her, and what she believes now about creativity, positioning, storytelling, and reputation in the modern world. This conversation exists because “personal brand” has become a buzzword - and Amelia has actually done it. Built it. Scaled it. Burned out from it. Rebuilt it. If you care about ideas, visibility, creative work, or building something under your own name - this episode is for you. What You’ll Learn: -Why a personal brand is simply “a reputation at scale” - and why that changes everything -How to test and refine an idea while still employed (and effectively “get paid to learn”) -What fast growth really costs - beyond the headline revenue numbers -Why most content doesn’t convert (and what separates visibility from revenue) -A simple three-bucket framework for content that actually builds authority -Why storytelling only works when someone can say “me too” -How to overcome fear of posting, speaking, or putting yourself forward -The difference between execution problems and positioning problems -Why followers don’t matter nearly as much as you think -How to choose which ideas to pursue - and which to let go Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 5m

  8. FEB 6

    Owen Cutts: How I made music with Stormzy

    Music Producer, Songwriter - This episode is about how music is actually made - not the romantic version, but the real one. The rooms. The pressure. The trust. The decisions that quietly determine whether an idea lives or dies. Ben sits down with a producer and songwriter Owen Cutts work spans hip-hop, soul, pop, and British music culture, someone who has built a long career behind the scenes, helping artists turn unfinished thoughts into finished records. This conversation exists to answer a deceptively simple question: - What does it really take to make meaningful creative work that lasts? - Not just to start, but to sustain. - If you’ve ever wondered how ideas move from instinct to execution, or how creative people balance art, ego, money, and longevity, this episode is for you. What You’ll Learn - Why the music industry isn’t actually about money - and what it is about instead - How professional creators build trust fast enough to do vulnerable work with strangers - What a “day-one demo” is - and why it has to be album-ready by the end of the day - How changing the perspective of an idea can unlock originality - Why chasing trends almost guarantees you’ll arrive too late - How great producers think in terms of environments, not just sounds - What old music can teach modern creators about invention and courage Why This Conversation Matters - Most people talk about creativity as inspiration. - This episode treats it as craft, judgment, and responsibility. - It pulls back the curtain on the invisible decisions that shape creative work - the moments that don’t make headlines but determine outcomes. - The value of saying no. - The cost of rushing. - The discipline of putting the work before the ego. - Whether you make music, build companies, write, design, or lead teams, this conversation reframes creativity as something done deliberately, not magically. Who This Episode Is For - Creatives who want to understand how ideas become finished work - Founders balancing vision, collaboration, and real-world constraints - Makers who care about longevity more than virality - Anyone curious about how trust and taste operate under pressure - People who love culture, but want to understand how it’s constructed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

How do you take a spark of an idea and turn it into something original, finished, and unforgettable? In this conversation, we sit down with some of The World’s most creative people and get geeky about their creative process. The breakthroughs, the failures, the step-by-step hard work that audiences never see. Join Ben Hanlin as he interviews Comedians, Musicians, Writers, Content Creators and asks them, “What’s The Trick?” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Hanlin
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ben Hanlin
  • Show Website
    What's The Trick?

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